Hobble



W. J. HEIMER Aug. 2, 1938.

HOBBLE Filed Aug. 16, 1957 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1938 U-NiT-ED STATES PATENT ()FFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hobbles and relates more particularly to that type of hobble employed with milk cows to prevent kicking while being milked. V

It is frequently necessary to hobble young cows, and sometimes old ones, to keep them from kicking. This is especially truewhen the cows are being trained to be milked by machines.

It has long been customary to apply to cows anti-kicking hobbles comprising two open hooks attached to each other by a rope, chain or strap, which are also frequently provided with means for adjusting the distance between the hooks.

It frequently happens that when the hobbles are first applied to cows, they become frantic when they discover that they are hobbled, and in their efforts to dislodge the hobbles, they often 'tear the skin or make themselves sore by the rubbing and chafing action of the chains, ropes or straps.

Even after the cow has been trained so that she will no longer fight the hobble, her legs are frequently irritated due to the chafing action of the chains, ropes or straps, as they are moved over the skin due to the frequent but slight movement of the 'legs that almost invariably takes place to the front of the legs and preferably extend a short distance across the same. Each leather flap is provided on the outside with an elongated loop extending entirely across the wide free end. A leather strap is secured to each flap and passes through the loop in such a way that it can slide along the outer surfaces of the flaps to the extent permitted by the loops, the function of the flaps being primarily to protect the cows legs from the rubbing action of the straps.

Having thus briefly described the invention, it will now be described in detail and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated in its preferred form and in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing the position occupied by the hobble when in place on a cows legs;

Figure 2 is a View showing the hobbles as they would appear if viewed through plane 22 Fig.1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the hobble showing the same extended and asit would appear if lying on a fiat surface; and

Figure 4 is a view of a portion of the hobble, to

means of rivets I, leather flaps 8. The flaps are! shaped in the'mann er shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and may be described in a general way as spatulated. It will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 that the flaps Widen in a symmetrical manner outwardly from the place where they are fastened to the hooks. In the actual hobble the flaps measure about 7 inches in length and about 3 inches in width at their widest portions. The size can, of course, be varied within reasonable limits.

Attached to the outside of each flap at its Widest portions is a strap 9 that is secured at its ends to the flaps and is referred to herein and in the claims as loops.

Secured at one end to one of the flaps is a strap ID. The means employed for attaching the strap II] to the flap comprises a metal D having a straight side II and a convex side I2. The straight side II is enclosed by a loop I3 that is secured to the flap by means of a rivet I4, or by any other or additional means. One end of strap l encloses the curved side I2 and is permanently attached to the D ring by means of a rivet I and in addition by stitching if desired.

The strap I0 passes through the guide slot or loop formed by strap 9 and can be moved transversely of the flap between the extreme positions indicated by the dot and dash lines. The other end of strap I0 is provided with a number of openings I6 and passes through the loop on the other flap. Attached to the other flap, the one to the left in Fig. 3, is a buckle l1 and a guide loop Ill. The buckle and guide loop are secured to the flap by means of a leather bight I9. The buckle has the usual tongue 20 that cooperates with the holes I6.

The hobble is attached to the cow in the manner shown in Fig. 1 and can be adjusted in length by means of the strap I0 and the buckle.

An inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 shows that the strap I0 is separated from the cows body by the flaps 8 and as a result it may slide transversely of the flaps between the limiting positions, indicated by broken lines in Fig. 4, without danger flaps and guided in its transverse movements by;

the loop straps l0.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

metal hook, for use in a cowhobble andad'ap'ted V to engage with'the rear leg tendon directly above 20 the hook, and a spatula shaped leather flap attached at its narrow end to one end of the hook and provided, on its outside witha strap extending crossways thereof and secured thereto at. its ends to form a guide loop; t v I e V 2. A hobble of; the type employed to prevent cows'from kicking and-which employs two interconnected hooks for engaging the; tendons above thehocks, comprising an i-rri-tation'preventing leather fi'apattached toeone end of each hook 3 0 andof suflicient length to extend along the outside of the cows legs and inwardly across the front thereof, a strap. interconnecting the flaps, and guide loops comprising straps extending transyersely of attached at their ends to the flaps-,- the guide loops thnsformed being olf'considerable greater length than the width, of the *their outer ends than at the ends attached to the" hooks, a strap, means for attaching'thestrap to both flaps, at points spaced some distance from the free ends of the flaps, the attaching means permitting the 'strap toslide transversely of the flaps and to turn about the attaching means as v t a pivot; and each flap having a guide strap at- 1. An article of manufacture comprising a tached at its ends to the flap and passing over t'he'first mentioned strap, whereby a guide loop :isformed which is of greater length than the 'wi'dth of the first mentioned Fstrap so that it may slide transversely of the' flaps, the latter serving'to protect the cows legs from being irritated'b-y-the movement'iaf the strap.

4. In a hobble of the type in which two hooks are ,engagedabout the tendons of a cows leg and connected by a tension member passing in, fron'tcf the legs, said tension member confprising' a leather flap attached to the ot tside end of each hook and of sufiicient length to extend to the front of the leg and curve inwardly, a strap attached to both flaps at a point spaced some distance from the free ends of the flaps, and a second strap secured at its ends to each flap and passing over the first namedstrap, whereby a guide loop ieformed: ,1

e WARREN J. HEIMER; 

